11/10 Pipefish, more snowberries, State of the Sound, BC fish farming, week in review

Bay pipefish [Claire H/Creative Commons]

Bay pipefish Syngnathus leptorhynchus
Pipefish live among the eelgrass where their color and upright posture give great camouflage as they imitate the swaying grass. Pipefish can even change color from green to brown to match the closest vegetation. The Pipefish's mouth has no teeth and is at the end of a tube-shaped snout. The fish eats by vacuuming in small shrimp and other tiny animals from some distance away. Like its relative the seahorse, male Pipefish carry the young. The female courts the male. If successful in attracting him, she twists herself around him and deposits up to 900 eggs in the brood pouch on the underside of his body. A protective tissue forms over the pouch's opening and keeps the eggs safe inside. The male carries the developing young for several weeks before they emerge as swimming juveniles less than an inch long. (Friends of Skagit Beaches)

Snowberries
Regarding Wednesday's snowberry flora profile, Don Norman writes: "It is very invasive and spreading but provides great cover for nesting and it flowers continuously all summer so it provides nectar for bees and beneficial wasps (and hummingbirds) in your pollinator garden.  Birds do sparingly eat the berries especially late in the winter when it is freezing out, I believe, for the water value, though they may be more palatable as the chemicals in the berries degrade over the winter."

Puget Sound ecosystem holding on, but recovery remains uncertain, says latest status report
Efforts to restore ecological health to Puget Sound have largely failed to meet recovery goals, yet fish and wildlife populations are still hanging on, according to a new report that describes many struggling populations as neither increasing nor decreasing to a significant extent. The latest State of the Sound report, released last week by the Puget Sound Partnership, reveals the ongoing difficulty of recovering the Puget Sound ecosystem in the face of rapid population growth, climate change and a legacy of pollution and habitat damage. Chris Dunagan reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

B.C. Indigenous leaders lobby for transition from open-net salmon farms
Indigenous leaders from British Columbia have called on the federal government to stand by plans to transition away from open-net salmon farms, but an industry spokesperson has suggested the leaders were wading into political waters. The chiefs were in Ottawa to stress the importance of the federal government's commitment to removing open-net salmon farms from B.C. waters by 2025. The group represents more than 120 First Nations. Dirk Meissner reports. (The Canadian Press)

Salish Sea News Week in Review Nov. 10, 2023: Sesame Street Friday!, car-tire toxin, grizzly return, BC billions for nature, Goldstream salmon return, BC emissions, BC provincial parks, Bigg's sightings, State of the Sound.

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Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  247 AM PST Fri Nov 10 2023    
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT    
TODAY  S wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft in the  afternoon. W swell 11 ft at 13 seconds. A slight chance of showers  in the morning then a chance of showers in the afternoon.  
TONIGHT  S wind 20 to 30 kt becoming SW after midnight. Wind  waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 10 ft at 13 seconds in the evening.  Showers. A slight chance of tstms after midnight.  
SAT  SW wind 20 to 30 kt becoming W 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 14 ft at 12 seconds in  the morning. Showers and a slight chance of tstms.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SE 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft at 10 seconds.  
SUN  SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 10 ft  at 13 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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